We at Kessler Soils Engineering (KSE) were excited to attend and to be an exhibitor at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 94th Annual Meeting on January 11-13, 2015 in Washington, DC at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The K-100A – Standard Kit is the perfect device to test the strength of soil subgrades prior to laying mats or gravel base materials and correcting or avoiding soft spots that impact access of heavy truck traffic associated with well development. Also, the kit can be used to test the capacity of the prepared drilling platform pad and verify subgrade capacity for lifting operations. CBR values from the DCP are especially useful for customers.

Renewable Energy – Light Duty Foundations

Many Renewable Energy companies use the K-100M – Military Kit to minimize soil boring programs when the project involves thousands of small foundations to hold Photo-Voltaic Panels or heliostat mirrors.Wind Energy customers are using the DCP to verify subgrade & pad preparation for crane and heavy lifting operations. Heavy haul roads are tested with the DCP prior to delivery of expensive wind turbines.

Mining & Metals – Tailings, Overburden & Restoration

Mining customers are using customized K100M – Military Kits to test compaction of tailings stacks, pond embankments and restoration backfilling. The DCP estimates the CBR value and ultimate bearing strength of the in-situ materials. KSE can provide customized solutions that allow customers to perform tests as deep as 12 ft. or 4 m. with extension rods and disposable cones.

Power Generation – Fly Ash & Gypsum Storage Testing

The DCP is the perfect device to perform periodic inspections of ash and gypsum storage landfills to identify potential weakening of the slopes or improper compaction of layers. Our customers use the K-100M – Military Kit with the MagRuler Data Collector to allow single person operation of the DCP while performing the maximum number of tests per day.

Heavy Hauling & Rigging – Testing of Subgrade Preparation

Subgrade & Pad preparation is critical for safe rigging and lifting operations. The DCP provides a fast and inexpensive solution to testing under each outrigger or loading point. In addition, the DCP is used to verify the CBR value for heavy haul roads since it is portable and performs the test up to 36 inches deep to insure no soft layer exists that could cause rutting and shifting of the load.

Telecommunications – Cell Tower Foundation Investigations

Several of our International Customers use our DCP to investigate the soil where cell tower foundations are planned. The DCP provides a correlation to estimate ultimate bearing strength used in the foundation design. The K-100MD Kit is the preferred choice which allows testing up to 7 feet or 2 meters and has 100 disposable cones. This kit is good for remote locations since it is has the full complement of accessories available for the DCP.

Airfield Operations – Evaluating Subgrade Performance

The K-100AD – Airfield Deluxe Kit is used by many Airfield Operators at un-improved or lightly improved landing strips in remote locations. The K-100AD comes with a 48 inch long Extra Strong drive rod that resists bending in higher strength soils containing cobles or stones. In addition, the 48 inches allows the user to complete a valid test when an asphalt or concrete pavement has been cored to allow access to the unbound material below.

KSE DCPs meet ASTM D6951 licensed to use the USACE patented design

Only companies with licenses to use the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) patented design can claim they meet ASTM D6951. Kessler Soils Engineering Products, Inc. (KSE) is one of the original licensees and is the world's leading Dynamic Cone Penetrometer Manufacturer. We offer an extensive line of DCP products to meet your specific needs. We feature both Single and Dual-mass Hammers, Disposable Cones, Data Collection Systems and our new Automated DCP. We also offer Moisture Measuring Devices, and Soil LWDs and Asphalt Light Weight Deflectometers (LWDs). Take a look around our site or give us a call. We would be happy to speak with you about any of our products.

For all international orders, please call 1-800-569-7303 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a quote!

DCP Features

• Quick and Easy• Durable and Reliable• CBR and PSF Correlations proven by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) research• Low Cost• Available Immediately• Works in all Soil Conditions

The Zorn ZFG 3000 is a dynamic plate bearing test system for measuring the bearing capacity (deflection) of subgrade/subsoils and unbound base layers. It is highly portable and easily carried around a construction site. The Zorn ZFG 3000 provides a simple, cost effective answer to time consuming and expensive static plate load tests. The recorder/printer device gives hard copy results in the field. It is also GPS integrated.

Kessler Soils Engineering Products, Inc is proud to announce calibration services for Zorn LWDs and Asphalt Testers.Kessler Soils Engineering is the only ASTM E2835 Light Weight Deflectometer LWD certified calibration station in the Western Hemisphere. It is exclusively used for Zorn Light Weight Deflectometers (LWD). Our facility has been certified by the manufacturer to perform minor repairs and calibrations for the devices. This new service reduces the cost and time of shipping devices back to Germany. Contact us for details of how we can serve you and your Zorn LWDs.

The Zorn ZFG 3.0 is a dynamic plate bearing test system for measuring the bearing capacity (deflection) of subgrade/subsoils and unbound base layers. It is highly portable and easily carried around a construction site. The Zorn ZFG 3.0 provides a simple, cost effective answer to time consuming and expensive static plate load tests. The printer gives hard copy results in the field and operates by a hand held device.

MIT-SCAN2-BTNondestructive Testing of Reinforcements in Pavements

The MIT-SCAN2-BT is a non-destructive method of measuring steel dowel bars and tiebars in joints of concrete pavements. It consists of a compact rail-guided measuring device, an easily assembled GRP (robust glass fiber reinforced plastic) rail system and a Pocket PC. The Pocket PC communicates with the measuring device via a Bluetooth connection.

MIT-SCAN-T2 is an innovative measuring device that can non-destructively and accurately measure the thickness of pavement layers during construction without the requirement for coring. It provides accurate thickness measurements for road pavement layers for highway, municipal and airport pavements, which are critical to ensure compliance with the thickness design and the longevity of the pavements.

For additional information on the MIT SCAN-T2, please review the following links:

KSE's 5 Part DCP Training Series is now available on-line. Please login or register to access the video. After login or registration, the link and the password needed to access the training video will appear under our 'About Us' tab at the top of the page. Thanks.

The 4218 DCP model is no longer available for sale. However, we do offer a kit for sale that can be used to upgrade the 4218 DCP to the latest K-100 DCP model. Upgrade kits are available with a 30" drive rod or a 37.75" drive rod. Please click on one of the following links to see the kits available to upgrade your 4218 DCP.